As all articles do, they had to cut and re-word the interview; that is to be expected. Unfortunately a few key points might have been missed.

I just want to expand on a few things quickly.

The first thing I must mention is that couponing is great, it’s just not for me.

It’s true, you might not save as much money deal-shopping as you would extreme couponing. However, my deal-shopping alternative is for those that:

A) don’t want to spend a lot of time shopping or clipping coupons,

B) Want good deals on fresh foods as well as “pantry items” and cooks for their family, and
C) want to save money on groceries and cut down on food expenses.

The beauty of my method is that if you love coupons, you can integrate couponing in and save EVEN MORE than if you just did coupons or deal-shopping alone!

Ok! That being said….

With deal-shopping, LOSS-LEADERS ARE KEY.

What do I mean by a loss-leader?

Each week (most) grocery stores put items on sale that are priced so low, they actually lose money on them. It’s still beneficial to them because it brings you into their store, where you will (most likely) buy other items.

Before I go shopping, I make sure to notice the loss-leader items. Those are the items to stock up on! You can use dealstomeals.com like I sometimes do (they help find the deals for you) or you can simply look at the store’s ads that you get in the mail (or online). The deals on the front page of store’s ads are typically their best deals for the week.

Once I find the amazing deals, I stock up on them using price-matching.

This is where convenience comes in. By price-matching at Wal Mart you take advantage of any other store’s prices, without having to shop at multiple stores! So I get the loss-leader pricing of the other stores, all at Wal-Mart.
(Oh, and by stocking up I mean buying a reasonable amount of things that you plan to use in the somewhat-near future ((no one needs 40 tubes of toothpaste if you ask me…even if they are only $0.10!). If you have it around when you need it, you won’t need to rush out and pay full-price for it in a pinch!)

Note: If you don’t have a Wal-Mart near you, you could certainly just choose a store with the best deals that week and stock up on them at the particular store.

The cool thing?

You don’t even have to have the ad with you! You simply say, “tomatoes are $0.49/lb at Smith’s this week” and they will match it.

Another cool thing?

No coupons needed! Of course, if you have a coupon lying around you could certainly save a little extra. But I find coupons are typically for “pantry items”. The things I save the most money on while deal-shopping are the things there are RARELY coupons for:
produce, dairy, and meat.

Once I take advantage of the good deals, I plan my week’s meals around the items so they get used or store (or freeze) the surplus for another time.

I spend about 5-10 minutes “prepping” before I go shopping, do about 2 big shopping trips a month, and save like crazy. I’m too lazy to coupon, and frankly, I think I get healthier items for better deals WITHOUT using coupons. That’s simply my opinion, though!

I plan to make a video soon of the literal “how-to’s” of deal shopping, so I will get that posted soon. I hope you enjoy the article, I’m excited to share a bit of knowledge with the world!

Comments

Loved the article and obviously love your page:) I have done coupons in the past. . .it’s hard with 2 little ones at home though. I would love to transition to your method. . .I do watch for deals and ad match but I am curious how you do one bulk shopping trip per month. Do you have lots of meals planned out in advance? Or do you have a pretty standard list that you use at Costco? I do bulk shop some, but I would love to only do 2 big trips per month! Any more tips would be great:)Sarah

I have found that at Wal Mart though if the deal is super good at another store and they have to price match close to 50% of the value of the item, you have to have the ad. Ran into this a couple of weeks ago and the ONLY way they price matched it was because I did have the ad. It is one of the only times it has happened to me, but I was a tad annoyed. The clerk said that when it is a deep discount you have to have the ad. I haven’t researched WALMARTS official policy yet.

Hi, I'm Jordan

AKA, the Fun Cheap or Free Queen. As a Family Finance and Frugal Living expert, my mission is to redefine frugal and teach you to live an ABUNDANT life...on any budget. It's not only possible, it's FUN. Want proof? Read my story and see... [read more]